IT'S A GIRL!!!!!

If you can't tell by the title of this email, I'm having a baby girl!!!!

Don't worry I didn't do anything bad, I'm just TRAINING!!!!

I am freaking out!!! I found out on Saturday that not only am I training (SCARY) but I am getting doubled into a new sisters area, which I hear is

(mom don't read this part)

 the most ghetto area on the mission

(mom you can read again)

I'm excited, but I have to admit I'm a little scared.  I feel like I should still be getting trained, and yet now I'm the one thats got the ropes.....AHHHH!  I know it will all work out though.  If I can get through this transfer, I know that I will be able to finish my full mission and finish it strong!

Oh, Question? Is there anyway I could get a GPS maybe? I have noticed that would be extremely useful to have....maps don't really exist anymore we've learned, we've tried to find one, anyway if I could get one that would be SWEET!

Another reason I'm sad about leaving is because Sister Crosby and I just became best friends, and this last week has been packed full of miracles.  We have been harvesting what we planted throughout the transfer.

The biggest miracle we saw was Melvin Hershinger.  Here's his story, it was a big chain of events.

PART 1: 

So I have seen the Wilcox's name on the ward list for weeks thinking we should see them, but I'd look at the address which was on seaview ave, and I didn't know where that was so I'd ignore it....yeah, I'm the worst, ANYWAY.  We go to visit this LA family that isn't home and we see Seaview AVE!!! So we go to see Felicia Wilcox, who we were told to not contact by the way, but we felt we needed to.  So we go talk to her, and she is interested and excited about coming back to church!! She even asked for the Institute class times, we didn't know them so we told her we'd get them and get back to her.

PART 2:

We head to the Institute to find the class times.  Right as we walk in the door Bishop Monson, no close relationship to the prophet...we asked, says "MISSIONARIES!! We were just looking for you" then he asked us what ward we were in, we told him Highland Hills, and he said, "thats exactly who we were looking for!"  He went on to tell us about this man named Melvin Hershinger who had left minutes before we walked in.  He had come in looking to change his life, and he felt like he should come to the church.  Bishop Monson gave him a blessing while he was there, took down the information and told him he'd send the missionaries.  Minutes later....we walked in.  Ah man I just love God's timing!!!

PART 3:

We set up an appointment with Melvin for the next day!  We asked the Elders to come since he's a single man, and we might possibly pass him off to them.  We took Melvin on a Church Tour and it was AMAZING!! He asked so many awesome questions, we'd tell him one thing and he'd compare it to the bible and then say "yeah that makes so much sense", He absolutely LOVED the first vision picture and story.  It was Awesome!! Then we went to the baptismal font....we talked about Christ's baptism and before we were able to invite him to be baptized he said, "Well, when can I get baptized?"  WHAT?!?  talk about golden!  We put him on date for June 8, and he is going strong to this day.  We meet with him everyday bc he has addictions and he feels that meeting with us helps him not be tempted so we help where we can...

And that is the story of Melvin.  He came and saw Barbara, one of the AP's investigators get baptized, and everyone he met he just kept saying "I loved that, I get to do that on the 8th!!"  He is the miracle of the transfer for sure!! And I'm so excited to be able to come back to witness his baptism on the 8th!!  He has a wife and 3 kids he feel will follow him too, so that's exciting as well!

We had some other fun stories for the week, but I don't have the time to write them so I'll have to save those for later.

I just want you all to know that I love my mission!  I have learned more about the gospel, my savior, and more importantly myself in the last 4 months, then I have learned my entire life!  I know that it is because I am taking the time to learn.  I am putting in the hard work that is required to have this knowledge.  This next transfer is going to be extremely challenging, but I know that I'm not alone.  I know that when my faith is in God, ALL things are possible, even me training a new missionary, in a new area.

I'm so grateful for all the support I have from you all!! Especially my family! I love you all so much and can feel your prayers for me.  They get me through the days where I don't think I can go anymore.  I've been reminded a lot this transfer of Dory in finding Nemo when she says, "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming" We just have to keep going, keep progressing, keep changing, and we will see the blessings that come with it.

I finished the Book of Mormon this week, and it was very bitter sweet, I just wanted it to keep going I wanted more, and I realized that I have more, there are so many talks from our modern day prophets that add on to our scriptures. 

I love you all, and hope you all have an amazing week!!  I pray for you daily, and miss you like crazy.  But there is no other place I would rather be, then in Tacoma, WA, soon to be Parkland, WA, in the Lakewood stake.  I know I'm where God wants me to be, and he will provide a way for all things to be accomplished. 

I love you sooooooo much!!

Love,

Sister Brittany Thomas